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Carl Weathers, who went from doling out bone-crunching hits as a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders to delivering knockout punches on the big screen as Apollo Creed, the nemesis of Sylvester Stallone’s lovable-lug prizefighter in “Rocky,” helping to spark one of Hollywood’s most successful franchises, died on Thursday. He was 76.

His family said in a statement that he “died peacefully in his sleep.” The statement did not give a cause or say where he died.

Mr. Weathers had a long and varied acting career that took him far beyond the boxing ring. He displayed his range over some 80 film and television credits. Starting in the 2000s, he memorably parodied himself as an acting coach on the sitcom “Arrested Development.” In more recent years he was the voice of Combat Carl in the animated movie “Toy Story 4” and played Greef Karga in the “Star Wars” television series “The Mandalorian,” earning an Emmy Award nomination in 2021 for outstanding guest actor in a drama series.

Earlier, in the Adam Sandler golf comedy “Happy Gilmore” (1996), Mr. Weathers earned laughs as Chubbs, who had been a star of the professional circuit before he lost his hand in an alligator attack.

Even so, his Apollo Creed character cast a long shadow. After the release in 1976 of “Rocky,” which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won three, including best picture, Mr. Weathers reprised his role in the next three installments, evolving from the title character’s motor-mouthed rival to his trusted friend and trainer.